Intensity, duration and frequency of exercise needed to achieve change in metabolic profiles in prediabetes at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Uasin Gishu County in Kenya

Abstract

Objective: To establish the intensity, duration and frequency of exercise needed to achieve change in metabolic profiles of pre-diabetes at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret, Kenya.

Design: A randomized controlled experimental study

Setting: Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret, Kenya

Subjects: Two comparison groups Experimental Group (EG) and Control Group (CG) with both groups having the same size of subjects, 17 patients each

Results: The results showed that training reduces FBG by 5% and 13%, in 6 and 12 weeks, respectively. HDL were significantly higher in the experimental than in the control group during post-training (z= -3.20.17, p=0.001). On the other hand the level of LDL decreased in the experimental group during both mid-training and post-training period relative to pre-training (z= -2.908.18, p=0.001). There was a significant reduction of Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (of 3%) after six weeks and an even more marked drop (8%) after 12 weeks in EG compared to CG in which there was no drop in HbA1c levels. High correlation was found between FBG and HbA1c (r=0.95)

Conclusion: The knowledge of how much exercise is required to impact change in disease progression would inform the prescription of exercise by physiotherapists to their clients